1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for protecting the integrity of a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to traditional communication functions related to calls and messages, advanced mobile terminals provide various other functions related to, for example, money transfer, stock trading, content playback and gaming.
When a mobile terminal is powered on, it starts to boot by loading the Operating System (OS). In secure booting, a pre-verified entity verifies subsequent entities and executes them only if their security is assured (i.e., not modified). This secure booting is used to detect a modification made to the operating system and the kernel, or malicious code in the mobile terminal, so as to prevent damage to the user and protect intellectual property rights.
However, some mobile terminals apply a secure boot chain only up to a bootloader. Such mobile terminals may boot even after their kernels are modified, and cannot ensure a secure boot. Malicious code installed in mobile terminals with an unsecure boot chain may disturb normal operations, and may allow for the personal or financial information of users to be stolen. This may also override Digital Rights Management (DRM) features, which enforce proper payment for digital content.
Hence, it is necessary to develop a method that can ensure integrity of entities in a mobile terminal.